1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to a collapsible, portable, tripod chair.
2. Description of Related Art
Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications by author(s) and year of publication, and that due to recent publication dates certain publications are not to be considered as prior art vis-a-vis the present invention. Discussion of such publications herein is given for more complete background and is not to be construed as an admission that such publications are prior art for patentability determination purposes.
Numerous collapsible and easily transportable chairs and stools are known for use during outdoor activities or spectator activities. A fairly common design incorporates a tripod leg configuration in which the three legs are joined at their center and over which a flexible material spans the tops of the three legs to form a seat.
Examples of such seats include the collapsible seat of U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,905 is designed to provide increased ground support to prevent instability of the seat in, for example, soft soil, and to provide for an increased, load carrying capacity. The stool of U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,638 is designed to be reduced to a small size when not in use by using telescoping legs and to provide good stability by minimizing the movement of the legs with respect to each other.
However, the chairs of the prior art do not provide for the light weight and small size necessary for easy portability during extended periods of time such as during backpacking expeditions or during long days at amusement parks where standing in line is common. Designs that provide for small size and light weight compromise strength and stability.
Therefore, there is a need for a chair that is easily portable, light, and strong.